Automatic desk-fall support



July 30, 1929. c. F. THOLIN 1,

AUTOMATIC DESK FALL SUPPORT Filed March 20, 1925 Patented July so, 1929..

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CHARLES E. THOLIN,-OF nocnronn, ILLINOIS, nssio vonrorrra SKANDIA runni- TUBE COMPANY or ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, or ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A oonrona- Tron 0F rumors.

AUTOMATIC nEsK-rnnn surrort'r.

Application filed March 20,1925. Serii a1-;1'\To. 16,8?7.

This invention relates ingeneral to furniture and has more particular reference to means for supporting the-hinged fall or lid of a writing desk or cabinet in the lowered position. r Y V f Heretofore means have been provided for this purpose characterized by a sliding member or fall support mounted on the case at each end of the fall and connected thereto so that upon swinging the fall to the lowered position the slides will be moved forward to a fall-supportingv position and upon'swinging the fall back to itslraised or closed position the slides will be retracted into the case. These prior constructions are however, unsatisfactory in that the means employed for operating the slides are comparatively complicated and costly considering their function; and furthermore, they. invariably presented an objectionable appearance because of their many parts and rather bulky con struction.

' The primary purpose of the present invention is therefore, to provide an improved construction of this kind with a view to obviating objections to prior devices for'this purpose. In other words, I have aimed to provide an exceptionally'simp'le and practical automatic fall support comprising a minimum number of parts so constructed that they may be produced at a comparatively low costand which when embodied'in a desk or other cabinet employing a hinged fall or lid will occupybut very little space a and be practically concealed and out of the way. I Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in. this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to; the following description when considered" in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view of the upper portion of a writing desk equipped with an automatic fall support embodying" my invention; I

Fig. 2, 1s a vertical section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3, 4: and 5 are sections taken on the lines 33, 4t and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 2. 7

My invent-ion in its preferred embodiment is illustrated herein as applied to a writing desk. It should be understood however,

thatit is applicable to any cabinet or piece of furniture having a hinged fall or lid simi-' lar to the fall of a writing desk which requires some form of support for holding it .m e, V f

in the open or horizontal position in which it suspended from its hinged end. The writing desk shown comprises a suitable case the principalpartsof which to be considered herein are the sides or ends 6 and 7 a fall bottom S fitting at its ends in grooves 9 in the sides as shown clearly in Fig.4, and a fall 11 suitably hingedat 12 to. the front edge of theufall bottom 8. Inthis instance the case below the fallibottom 8 provides a cabinet having a series {of drawers as shown in Fig. 1. I V j It is desired that the fall-supporting means, preferably in the form of slides, and the means for automaticallyoperating the slides shall-occupy minimum space and be so located as to be practically out of'sight both when the fall isin the raised and lowered position. It is also desired that the construction shall comprise but a minimum number. of parts ,so constructed that they may be produced and installed ata comparatively low cost. It is further desired, but not essentia'hfthat the construction shall be such as to permit the use of a continuous hinge for the fall support, the total cost of which hinge together with the slide operating means is less than that of prior constructions which invariably did not appear as neat and attractive as the present construction.

. With these objectives in'view I have pro 'vided the following construction: Beneath each-end of thefall bottom 8 I mount a fallsupporting member orslide 18 with its top edge 14 contiguous to the underside of'said fall bottom'and with 'itsouter side 15 contiguous to the inner side of the case and 6 or 7. Each fall-supporting member is suitably supported to slide forwardly and back-- means, for guiding and retaining the rear end of said member. Each end of the fall bottom 8 is cut away to provide an elongated slot 19 the ends of which are defined by walls 21 and 22 and is further cut away or slotted on lits top surface to provide a shallow groove 23 in alignment with and connecting the slot 19 with the front edge of said board. In the rabbeted edge 24: of each end of the fall is pivotally connected at 25 one end of a link 27, the opposite end'of which isbent at right angles providing an offset end portion 27 terminating in a laterally, inwardly turned end 28. As shown in Fig. 3 the link 26 (duplicated at the opposite end of the case) is disposed in the plane of the slot or 1 opening 19 so that its ofl'set portion 27 may extend down through said openmg as shown in Figs. 2and 5. The lower end of said offset portion 27 enters a cutaway 29 in the outer side of the slide and the inwardly turned end 28 of the linkenters ahole in the slide as shown in Fig. 5 and provides a pivotal connection thereto. In the preferred embodiment of my invention the link 26 is a in the form of a single piece of wire one end of which is flattened fortheconnection and the opposite end of which is bent to the shape described to provide a simple and effective connection to the slide without the use of extraneous fastening means. To this end it will be noted that the slide-connected end of the link is confined between the side walls of the slot or opening 19 and thus maintained in operative relation at all times to the slide and fall board. ,As a re sult of this construction there is no side twist or strain on the links and their pivotal connections whenvthefall board isswung back and forth.

From the foregoing it will be manifest that when the fall is swung down to the lowered position shown in dotted lines in Fig; 2 the slides13 will be automatically drawn forwardly by the links 26 to the fall-supporting position shown. in dotted lines. In this position it will be observed that the links 26 occupy a position partly in the rabbeted edge 24 of the fall and partly in the shallow groove 23 in the fall bottom 8, flush with the I top'of said fall and fall bottom. The conthe desk or cabinet.

necting. links are therefore, in an out-of-theway. position and not obstructive to the full use of the writing top. Furthermore, by reason of the construction and arrangement of the connecting links they occupy but very little space and are practically out of sight and do not mar the symmetry' and design of I 'It is believed that the'foregoing conveys I i a clear understanding of the objects prefaced above and while have illustrated but a single working embodimentit should be understood that changesmight be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim, in which' I claim A device of the character described comprising a link arranged to be pivotally con-. nected at one end to a desk fall and at its other end to a fall-supporting slide to operate the latter, the said link being made of a singlepiece of wire formed atone end to make pivotal connection with the fall and having the other end bent downwardly for passage through a slot in the fallbottom to the slide and having the extremity bent laterally for entry ina bearing hole provided in the slide, the said wire beingof medium size so as to operate'easily through a narrow slot in the fall bottom as well as permit of a certain amount of rebending of the bent end to conform the link to the location of the bearing hole, and said wire being preferably round so that the bent extremity provides a good journal ing thereof.

CHARLES F. THOLIN.

part without special conform-' 

